Ready to experience gorgeous scenery and an amazing array of local and migratory birds? The Outer Banks is a wonderful destination for both expert and novice birding enthusiasts! Plan an entire Outer Banks birding vacation or just keep an eye out for local species during your annual beach getaway. Wherever you are on the Outer Banks, you're sure to see an impressive array of wildlife. Be sure to keep your camera handy as you travel through the coastal section of the North Carolina Birding Trail.
Plan your Outer Banks bird-watching trip now! Sun Realty is proud to be a Birder Friendly Business on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival
Celebrate the wildlife and wildlands of the beautiful Outer Banks during this popular event.
Enjoy lovely weather and low rates on Wings Over Water accommodations. This is one Outer Banks event that shouldn't be missed! Visit www.WingsOverWater.org for a schedule, maps and registration form.
Outer Banks Birding Sites
The North Carolina Birding Trail includes a series of locations throughout the state that are excellent for birding and bird watching. The Outer Banks are located in the coastal section of the North Carolina Birding Trail. Some of the Outer Banks' birding sites include the Elizabethan Gardens, Roanoke Island Marshes Game Land, Jockey's Ridge State Park, Bodie Island, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Types of Outer Banks Birds
Different species of birds can be seen on the Outer Banks based on location and the time of year. You should plan your birding trip based on whether you are more interested in wintering birds or summer breeders. Explore the coastline, sound, marshes and woodlands to experience the true variety of Outer Banks' wildlife. Here are some examples of birds that can be found on the OBX.
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Osprey
- Marsh Wren
- Mallard Duck
- Magnolia Warbler
- American Oystercatcher
- Whimbrel
- Northern Pintail Duck
- Seaside Sparrow
- Black-Bellied Plover
- Brown Pelican
- Yellow-Nosed Albatross
- Purple Sandpiper
- Green Heron
- Gull-Billed Tern
- Sanderling
- Snow Goose
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Long-Billed Curlew
- American Black Duck
- Green-Winged Teal
- American Avocet
- White-Winged Scoter
- Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
- Egret
- Blue Grosbeak
- Cape Verde Shearwater
For More Info on Outer Banks Birding & Wildlife
Learn more about identifying birds, where to bird, and how to report your observations from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Carolina Bird Club, Audubon North Carolina or the American Birding Association.